ORGANISING THE MICROFINANCE SECTOR Background and justification Zimbabwe opened up its banking sector system to a number of local players in the early nineties and early 2000 resulting in the country being overbanked. Around 2003/2004, a number of banks were liquidated or placed under curatorship due to imprudent banking practices. Again due to a decade of economic crisis, more banks were liquidated, placed under curatorship or merged. This formal banking system was largely serving the formal economy at the expense of the informal economy and the rural economy.

The microfinance sector then mushroomed in order to service the largely financially excluded informal Economy. Resultantly over 150 registered microfinance institutions are operating in the country. The majority of workers in this sector are working under precarious conditions with serious decent work deficits and are largely unorganised. There is currently no trade union representing the interests of these workers as their employers would want them to fall under the commercial sector as opposed to the financial sector.

Main Goal/Objective- To Organise and educate microfinance workers on worker rights. The Finance Union, Zimbabwe banks and Allied Workers Union is considered militant by employers in the microfinance institutions. Most employers in this sector do not want their employees to be organised hence they are not keen to allow the union to organise on their premises. The working conditions in this sector are poor, the salaries are way below the poverty datum line and there is rampant casualization of labour, resultantly serious decent work deficits exist.

OBJECTIVESRESULTSACTIVITIES TARGET GROUPS CO- OPERATING PARTNERS ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES RESOUCES 1. VISITS TO MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS TO ADVISE ON LABOUR RIGHTS ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF WORKERS IN MEETINGS. MEETINGS WITH WOKERS, COMPANY VISITS,DISTRIB UTION OF FLYERS ALL WORKERS IN THE MICROFINA NCE INSTITUTIO NS NATIONAL FEDERATION (ZCTU), LABOUR OFFICERS (MIN OF LABOUR) GENERAL SECRETARY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE MICROFINANCE INSITUTIONS ABOUT THE IMPENDING VISITS, LIASON WITH CO- OPERATING PARTNERS INTERNAL – HUMAN AND FINANCIAL AND EXTERNALY – HUMAN RESOUSERS

2. EXPOSE,PUBLICISE THE DECENT WORK DEFICITS INCREASESD INTREST IN TRADE UNION ACTIVITIES, MEETINGS, CAMPAIGNS,SOCIAL MEDIA, MEDIA ALL WOKERS MINISTRY OF LABOUR, THE FEDERATION THE ORGANISING TEAM TO HOLD MEETINGS, CAMPAIGNS INTERNAL AND EXTENAL HUMAN RESOUSES 3. SET UP WORKPLACE STRUCTURES IN EACH INSTITUTION PROPER STRUCTURES,ACTI VE PARTICIPATION OF WORKERS IN MEETINGS AND INCREASED INTREST IN UNION ACTIVITIES MOBILISE THE WOKERS TO FORM WORKERS COMMITEES AS THIS IS A REQUIREMENT IN TERMS OF THE LABOUR LAWS ACTIVE WOKERS AND POTENTIAL LEADERS FEDERATION CENTRE ANDMINISTRY OF LABOUR THE ORGANISING TEAM TO SET UP STRUCTURES AND EDUCATE ON THE ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE WORKERS COMMITTEE. INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ORGANISERS

MONITORING AND EVALUATION A DEDICATED OFFICER WILL BE APPOINTED TO DEAL WITH ISSUES FROM THE MICROFINANCE SECTOR. THIS OFFICER WILL CONSTANTLY BE IN TOUCH WITH ELCTED OFFICE BEARERS AT EACH WORK STATION AND ATTENT TO THEIR ISSUES. REGULAR UPDATES ON MEETINGS HELD, PROGRESS, ISSUES AND MEMBERSHIP GROWTH WILL BE UPDATED TO THE EXECUTIVE AND THE ENTIRE UNION LEADERSHIP. AFTER THE INITIAL SIX MONTHS, THE PROJECT WILL BE EVALUATED BY THE EXECUTIVE AND SEE WHETHER MORE RESOURCES WILL NEED TO BE CHANNELED TOWADS THE PROCESS

ASSUMPTIONS IT IS ASSUMED THAT EACH MICROFINANCE INSTITUTION HAS BETWEEN WORKERS. SEREOUS DECENT WORK DEFICITS EXIST IN THIS SECTOR AND THAT THE UNION COULD MOBILISE AROUND THESE DEFICITS IT IS ALSO ASSUMED THAT EMPLOYERS WILL BE HOSTILE TO THE UNION HENCE THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR TO ENSURE THAT AT LEAST THE EMPLOYERS HAVE RESPECT FOR GOVERNMENT WHICH CAN IMPOSE SUNCTIONS.